So I had my first partial obstruction Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning, cleared up with rest, IV fluids and patience, but was asked to go to the ER by my doc. I sat in our local ER from 9:45/10pm Tuesday until 4pm Wednesday, this is AFTER they admitted me at 4:30am. I was given zofran so I wouldn't vomit, dilaudid so it didn't hurt and IV fluids. Had a cat scan at 3:30am confirming my original thoughts - BLOCKAGE - was surprised to learn I have a narrowing of one of the anastomosis sites. I was ignored by the nursing staff for over an hour, pressing my call button 3 times, and underwhelmed with their ability to read my chart/history. The hospitalist came into my ER room around 10am on Wednesday and started talking about bringing a general surgeon (no thanks, I have a surgeon already) to speak with me and staying for 48 hrs or more. I know my body, such as it is, I know my pain threshold and when to say when, I appreciate the hundreds of thousands they spent on their medical degree but I know more about how I feel. They couldn't wrap their heads around why I go to the bathroom so much after I explained, 3 times, that I have no colon but do have a jpouch (that I love). At 4:30pm I demanded to see the doctor, be put on a regular diet (I was passing stool by this time) and be released if it was tolerated. I ate my cardboard mashed potatoes, flavorless chicken soup and soggy mac n cheese w gusto, 2 1/2 hours later I was "allowed" to go home. My general GI spoke to me today and congratulated me for standing my ground, not allowing them to push a surgeon on me and knowing my body. I have been dealing with IBD and hospitals for over a decade, I know what I am doing.
Why is it when we have been through SO much, and know more about our conditions than most general doctors, are we treated like invalid's who don't know any better. I am not going to run home and eat a bag of popcorn and nuts after all the pain and frustration I just dealt with. I know better than to have a huge helping of salad. I am on a diet of essentially baby food until I feel 100% then my GI and I will begin the evaluation process of this narrowing and see what needs to happen from here. Jumping straight to surgery seems awful extreme to me. So again I ask, why is our life experience and knowledge of the way our bodies work, always ignored when faced with the ER? I know my guts, whats left of them, and you need to trust that...